Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-29
yrinkbd ND in a hairy grin that, owing K

YOU shall have it, but then we shall upsaddle
and go, and you can do your numbering
yourself. There, there, take your choice; We
shall be glad enough to get home, for we do
not like the job. II I 60 out shooting I like
to shoot buck or Kaffir, not white people"
Frank Muller reflected moment, and then
he laughed little. "You are funny people,
you home bred Beers" he said; "but perhaps
you are right. After all, what does it matter
who has the warrant, provided the thing is
we'll donea Mind there is no bungling, that
Is ALL"
"Yah, YAH" said the fat faced man, "you
can trust us for that. 1t won't be the first
time that we have toppled over. If I have
my warrant ask nothing better than to go
on shooting Englishmen all night, one down,
the other come on. know no prettier sight
shan an Englishman toppling over"
1Stop that talk and saddle up, the cart Is
waiting You fools can never understand tho
difference between killing when it is neces-
sary to kill and killing for killings sake.
These people must die because they have be-
trayed the land"
aYah. YAH" said the Vilderbeeste, "be-
traye,i the land; we have heard that before.
) rnosr- who betray the land must manure 1t;
that Is good rule" and he laughed and
passed on.
Frank Muller watched his retreating form
with @ smile of peculiar malignity OH his
handsome face. @Ah, my friend" he said to
himself in Dutch, "you and that warrant will
part company before you are many hours
older. Why, it would be enough to hang me,
even in this happy land Of patriots. Old =
would not forgive even me for taking that
little liberty with his name. Dear me, what
a lot of trouble one has to take to be rid OF a
single enemyI Well, it must be done, and
Bessie is well worth it; but if it had not been
for this war could never have managed 1t.
All! did well to give my voice for war. I
am sorry for the girl jess, but it must be-;
there must be no living witness left. All! we
are going to have a storm. So much the bet
ter. Such deeds are best done in storm"
Muller was right; the storm was coming
up fast, throwing a vail Of inky cloud across
the star spangled sky. In South Africa there
is but little twilight and the darkness follows
hard upon the heels of the day. No sooner
had the great angry ball Of the sun finally
disappeared than the night swept with all her
stars across the sky. And now after her came
the great storm, covering up her beauty with
his blackness The air was sti6ingly hot
Above was starry space; to the east the
angry bosom of the storm, in which the
lightnings were already playing with an in
cessant Pickering movement, and to the west
deep red glow, reflected from the sunken
sun, yet fingered on the horizon.
On toiled the horses through the gathering
gloom. Fortunately the road was fairly
level and free from mudholes, and Frank
Muller rode just ahead to show the way, his
strong, manly form standing out clear against
the departing western glow.
It was all awful night. Great pillars OF
mud colored sky came creeping across the
surface Of the veldt toward them, seemingly
blown along without wind. And now, too,
a CHASTITY looking ringed moon arose and
threw weird, distorted light upon the black
ness that seemed to shudder in her rays, as
though with a prescience Of the advancing
terror. On crept the mud colored columns,
and on above them, and resting on them,
came the muttering storm. The cart was
quite close to the river now, and they could
plainly hear its murmur. To their left was
koppie, covered with whito, slablike stones,
on which the sickly moonbeams danced.
"Look, John, look!" cried jess, with a
hysterical laugh; "it looks like huge grave
yard, and the dark shadows between are the
ghosts of the buried"
"Nonsense," said John, sternly; "what do
you mean by talking such rubbish?'
He felt that she was little off her balance,
and, what is more, he was getting rather of
his own, and therefore was naturally the
angrier with her, and the more determined
to be perfectly matter of fact
Jess made no answer, but she was frightened,
she could not tell why. The whole thing re-
sembled some awful dream, or one Of Dores
pictures come to life. No doubt, also, the
near presence Of the storm exercised an effect
upon her nerves. Even the wearied horses
snorted and shook themselves uneasily.
They crept over the ridge Of wave of
land, and the wheels rolled softly on the
grass.
"Why, we are off the road!" shouted John
to Muller, who was still guiding them, fifteen
or twenty PAGES ahead.
"All right! all rightl it is short cut to the
ford!p he called in answer, and his voice rang
strange and hollow through the great depths
of the silence
Below them, hundred yards away, the
light, such as it was, cleaned family upon
the wide surface of the river. Another five
minutes and they were on its shore, but in
the gathering gloom they could not make out
the opposite bank.
"Turn to the left!" shouted Muller; "the
ford is few yards up. tits too deep here for
the horses"
John turned accordingly, and followed
Muller's horse some 800 yards up the bank
till they came to spot where the water rar
with an angry music, and there was great
swirl Of eddies
aHere is the place." said Muller; "you must
make haste through. The house is just the
other side, and it will be better to get there
before the tempest breaks"
ats all very well" said John, "but l can't
see an inch before me; don't know where to
drive"
"Drive straight ahead; the water is not
more than three feet deep, and there are no
rocks"
II am not going, and that is all about it."
"You must 60, Capt Mel. You cannot
stop here, and if you can we cannot. Look
there, man. and he pointed to the east, which
now presented truly awful and magnificent
sight.
Down, right on to them, its center bowed
out like the belly of sail by the weight Of
the wind behind, swept the great storm cloud,
while over all its surface the lightning played
increasingly, appearing and disappearing in
needles of fire, and twisting and writhing SER
pentwise round about its outer edges
The distant muttering Of thunder that they
had heard had died away, and now the great
storm swept on in silent majesty, like the
passage Of ghostly host, from which there
arose no sound of feet or rolling of wheels.
Only before it sped the swift angels Of the
wind, and behind it swung the curtain Of the
rain.
Even as Muller spoke a gust of icy air
caught the cart and tilted it, and the light
ming needles began to play more dreadfully
than ever. The storm was breaking upon
them.
"Come, get on, get on!" he shouted, "you
will be killed here; the lightning always
strikes along the water" and as he said it he
struck one Of the wheelers sharply with his
whip.
"Climb over the back Of the seat, Mouti,
and stand by to help me with the reine!' sung
out John to The Zulu, who obeyed, getting be-
tween him and jess.
"Now, jess, hang on, and say your prayers,
for it strikes me we shall have need OF them.
So, horses, SOL"
The horses backed and plunged, but Muller
on the one side and the smooth faced Boer on
the other lashed them without mercy, and at
last they went into the river with rush.